An editorial selection of benchmark labels from Collio, Colli Orientali, and the Karst, capturing Alpine-Adriatic tensions, terroir precision, and remarkable longevity.
Viticulture in Friuli Venezia Giulia rests upon a network of small and medium-scale estates, yielding roughly 1.1 million hectoliters annually with a decisive focus on white varieties. Across hillside and lowland plantings, the region’s premier zones cluster within Collio Goriziano, Colli Orientali del Friuli, and the rugged Karst plateau.
Aromatic depth and tension trace directly to stratified marl and sandstone soils—locally termed ponca—abundant in minerals and trace elements vital to aromatic precursors. Across the Karst (Kras in Slovenian), vines take root in steep limestone sinkholes lined with iron-rich terra rossa, shaping chiseled, saline profiles marked by flint, iron, and savory minerality. The microclimate thrives on the dynamic friction between Bora and Scirocco winds, buffered against northern freezes by the Julian Alps and tempered by maritime currents from the Adriatic Sea.
The editorial team of Cucine d’Italia curates the region’s benchmark bottlings for 2026, capturing a seamless synthesis of heritage, terroir, and cellar precision tailored for palates seeking territorial authenticity, stylistic clarity, and profound ageability.
The Finest Friulian White Wines of 2026
Rosazzo DOCG Terre Alte 2022 – Livio Felluga
Estate & Philosophy: Founded in 1956 by regional patriarch Livio Felluga, the Brazzano di Cormòns estate redefined Friuli’s hillside viticulture through single-terroir focus, iconic cartographic labels, and an enduring benchmark for cellar-worthy white wines.
Variety / Blend: White Blend (Friulano, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced from hillside vineyards on stratified marl-sandstone flysch (ponca). Components age separately for ten months: Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon in temperature-controlled stainless steel to protect purity and lift; Friulano fermented and matured in small French oak casks. The final blend rests in bottle for nine months before release.
Tasting Notes: Layered and chiseled on the nose, revealing yellow peach, medlar, elderflower, and clary sage alongside crushed stone and subtle smoky reduction. The palate delivers striking density and dry extract, propelled by a vibrant, saline acidity that drives a long finish marked by wild herbs and bitter almond.
Collio DOC Bianco Broy 2023 – Eugenio Collavini
Estate & Philosophy: Based at the historic Castello di Manzano since 1896, Collavini pairs generational heritage with technical ambition, shaping a cellar style that balances regional terroir with international polish.
Variety / Blend: White Blend (50% Friulano, 30% Chardonnay, 20% Sauvignon Blanc)
Terroir & Vinification: Selected from steep Collio slopes. A portion of the Friulano and Chardonnay undergoes gentle air-drying on traditional racks prior to pressing. Vinification and fine-lees aging across stainless steel and oak casks build textural depth, volume, and aromatic concentration.
Tasting Notes: Generous and layered, opening with ripe tropical fruit, acacia blossom, candied citrus rind, and delicate sweet spice. The palate balances Friulano’s tactile weight and Chardonnay’s glyceric roundness against the cut and aromatic lift of Sauvignon Blanc, concluding on a persistent, savory, saline finish.
Collio DOC Friulano Manditocai 2023 – Livon
Estate & Philosophy: Established in the early 1960s in San Giovanni al Natisone, Livon built its identity on rigorous parcel selection and drastically curbed yields, unlocking the deepest varietal identity of native Friulian grapes.
Variety / Blend: Single Varietal (100% Friulano)
Terroir & Vinification: Single-vineyard fruit from the Manditocai parcel in Ruttars (Dolegna del Collio), planted on deep marl. Fermentation and eight to ten months of lees aging take place in French oak barriques, followed by extended bottle resting.
Tasting Notes: Rich and varietally pure, offering aromas of golden russet apple, chamomile, dried hay, toasted nuts, and fine vanilla bean. The entry is broad, textural, and decidedly mineral, anchored by firm sapidity that cuts through the wine’s natural warmth and leads to a classic, persistent finish of green almond and flint.
Friuli Colli Orientali DOC Biancosesto 2023 – La Tunella
Estate & Philosophy: Helmed by the Zorzettig family in Ipplis di Premariacco, La Tunella embodies an artisanal benchmark for the Colli Orientali, defined by meticulous canopy management and a clean, luminous, contemporary cellar style.
Variety / Blend: White Blend (50% Friulano, 50% Ribolla Gialla)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced from marl and sandstone slopes (ponca) across the Colli Orientali. Co-fermented and aged on fine lees for several months in large 25- and 30-hectoliter oak casks.
Tasting Notes: A fresh, finely calibrated nose yields quince, citrus zest, meadow blossoms, and delicate pastry crust. The palate strikes rigorous balance: Friulano’s flesh and textural breadth meet the vertical, citrus-driven acidity of Ribolla Gialla, resulting in a taut, saline, and remarkably persistent finish.
Collio DOC Bianco Stare Brajde 2023 – Muzic
Estate & Philosophy: Anchored in San Floriano del Collio since 1927, the Muzic family stewards historic border vineyards with deep-rooted agricultural wisdom, championing biodiversity and the native field blends of the Gorizia hills.
Variety / Blend: Native White Blend (predominantly Friulano, with Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia Istriana)
Terroir & Vinification: Selected from old vines rooted in pure ponca formations in San Floriano del Collio. Fermentation and fine lees aging are split between oak casks and stainless steel to protect varietal typicity while building mid-palate texture.
Tasting Notes: Pale straw with shimmering golden reflections. Aromas unfold with Mediterranean herbs, linden blossom, golden apple, and distinct crushed-seashell minerality. The palate is coherent and fleshy, anchored by a pronounced saline, flinty core imparted by the marl soils, resolving on a dry, harmonious, lingering finish.
Collio DOC Friulano Ronco delle Cime 2024 – Venica & Venica
Estate & Philosophy: Based in Dolegna del Collio, the Venica family represents an absolute touchstone for hillside viticulture, steered by sustainable agronomy and an uncompromising commitment to microclimate parcelation across individual hilltops (ronchi).
Variety / Blend: Single Varietal (100% Friulano)
Terroir & Vinification: Single-vineyard fruit harvested from the hillcrest parcel (ronco) in Dolegna del Collio. Following cold maceration, the wine matures on fine lees for roughly five months, predominantly in large oak casks with a small portion in stainless steel.
Tasting Notes: Exemplary aromatic clarity, showing white blossoms, fresh sage, green almond, and crushed cut grass. The palate impresses with linearity, electric acid drive, and pristine precision. Deep mineral and saline underpinnings provide verticality and depth, flowing into an immaculate, classic bitter-almond close.
Carso DOC Vitovska 2023 – Škerlj
Estate & Philosophy: Škerlj stands as an exceptional benchmark on the Karst plateau—a singular territory uniting the raw energy of coastal winds with rugged, limestone-dominated alpine terrain.
Variety / Blend: Skin-Contact White / Native Karst Varietal (100% Vitovska)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced from the Trieste Karst plateau, rooted in fissured limestone and iron-dense terra rossa, exposed to fierce Bora winds and marine breezes. Vinification involves extended skin contact in open wooden vats, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, and no fining or filtration. The wine matures in oak casks within an underground stone cellar before bottle aging.
Tasting Notes: Luminous golden-amber in the glass. The nose releases complex aromas of yellow-fleshed fruit, preserved peach, fresh ginger, and acacia honey, layered over crushed limestone and wet stone. The palate is refined, deep, and focused, animated by striking acidity and a savory, brackish tension that drives a long, vibrant finish.
Carso DOC Malvazija 2023 – Skerk
Estate & Philosophy: Set on the windswept Karst plateau with a cellar carved directly into the living rock, Skerk adheres to a radical low-intervention ethos, entirely rejecting synthetic chemicals and cellar manipulations.
Variety / Blend: Skin-Contact White / Native Karst Varietal (100% Malvasia Istriana)
Terroir & Vinification: High-density plantings on mineral-rich limestone soils. Fermentation occurs spontaneously on the skins in truncated conical wooden vats without temperature control. The wine ages on fine lees in large oak casks within the subterranean bedrock cellar, bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting Notes: Deep golden hue with warm coppery glints. The bouquet is expansive and layered, weaving ripe apricot, medlar, and candied citrus peel with coastal scrub, wild herbs, and pine resin. The palate is textural, creamy, and succulent, sharpened by vibrant acidity and an assertive maritime salinity that leads to a long, refreshing, bitter-almond close.
Collio DOC Friulano 2024 – Marco Felluga Russiz Superiore
Estate & Philosophy: The crown jewel of the Marco Felluga estate in Capriva del Friuli, Russiz Superiore traces its lineage to the 16th century, practicing high-precision viticulture dedicated to crafting white wines of aristocratic stature, restraint, and longevity.
Variety / Blend: Single Varietal (100% Friulano)
Terroir & Vinification: Planted across the rolling hills of Capriva del Friuli on stratified ponca (marl and sandstone flysch). Following a brief cold soak to extract skin aromatics, fermentation takes place predominantly in temperature-controlled stainless steel, with roughly 15% in oak casks. The wine rests on fine lees for eight months prior to blending and bottle maturation.
Tasting Notes: Bright straw-yellow with shimmering green reflections. The nose reveals wild meadow flowers, chamomile, white peach, and mountain herbs, accented by delicate sweet spice. Compact and polished on the palate, where vivid freshness and firm sapidity give rhythmic velocity to the mid-palate, resolving on a clean, lingering finish with classic bitter-almond typicity.
Friuli Colli Orientali DOC Friulano Masiero Riserva 2022 – Torre Rosazza
Estate & Philosophy: Perched across the historic terraced slopes of Manzano, Torre Rosazza stands as a benchmark estate for the Colli Orientali, committed to single-vineyard parcelation and crafting age-worthy Riserva bottlings underpinned by pristine marl soils.
Variety / Blend: Single Varietal (100% Friulano)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced from the terraced Masiero single vineyard in Manzano, planted on marl-sandstone flysch (ponca). Vinified expressly for longevity: fermented in stainless steel, followed by extended lees maturation divided between stainless steel tanks and oak casks, then refined for at least twelve months in bottle prior to release.
Tasting Notes: Luminous golden-yellow with striking viscosity. The nose is deep and layered, revealing ripe medlar, dried apricot, wild hay, brown butter, subtle petrol, and a distinct chalky mineral undertone. Broad and textural on the palate, with dense dry extract counterbalanced by an enduring, vibrant saline spine that anchors an exceptionally long, savory close.
Friuli Colli Orientali DOC Friulano Liende 2023 – La Viarte
Estate & Philosophy: Set along the steep, wooded hillsides of Prepotto, La Viarte—meaning “springtime” in Friulian—practices rigorous, high-altitude viticulture designed to deliver crystalline varietal purity, mineral tension, and electric acidity.
Variety / Blend: Single Varietal (100% Friulano)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced from steep, wind-swept slopes in Prepotto on pure ponca formations. Following gentle pressing, fermentation and élevage take place entirely in stainless steel on fine lees with periodic bâtonnage, preserving varietal precision and verticality without oak influence.
Tasting Notes: Crystalline pale straw. The bouquet is taut and lifted, delivering Spadona pear, linden blossom, wild thyme, and cut grass. The entry is lean, snappy, and chiseled; citrus-driven acidity and an assertive saline cut lend drive and depth, finishing dry, pristine, and classically ammandorlato.
Friuli Colli Orientali DOC Friulano Vigneto Storico Bio 2023 – Adriano Gigante
Estate & Philosophy: Based in Corno di Rosazzo, the Gigante family couples certified organic farming with the preservation of historic old-vine parcels, safeguarding native genetic heritage to yield unvarnished, textural wines of profound territorial character.
Variety / Blend: Certified Organic Single Varietal (100% Friulano)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced from old vines planted in 1972 in Corno di Rosazzo, farmed organically on Eocene marl formations. The protocol involves skin cryomaceration followed by temperature-controlled fermentation. The wine rests on fine lees for six to eight months across stainless steel and concrete vats, followed by bottle aging.
Tasting Notes: Deep straw-yellow with golden highlights. The nose is pure, authentic, and grounded in terroir, offering yellow plum, green almond, elderflower, lemon zest, and crushed flint. The palate shows impressive dry extract and weight; rich fruit is held in check by a firm, tactile salinity, culminating in a deep, austere mineral finish.
Collio DOC Friulano Ronco della Chiesa 2023 – Borgo del Tiglio
Estate & Philosophy: Tucked into Brazzano in Cormòns, Borgo del Tiglio farms family-held parcels that have nurtured vines since the 18th century. The cellars occupy the historic hamlet, ingeniously arranged across four descending levels to enable full gravity-fed processing without mechanical pumping. The cellar philosophy centers on crafting layered, balanced wines of aristocratic finesse that channel the purity of their origin.
Variety / Blend: Single Varietal (100% Friulano)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced entirely from the Ronco della Chiesa parcel, cleared in the 1950s in a sheltered microclimate protected from harsh northeastern winds. Deep root systems plunge into brown marl, drawing out intense territorial character. Fermentation takes place in 250-liter French oak casks; following nine to ten months of barrel aging, the wine is bottled for long cellaring, boasting a lifespan easily exceeding two decades.
Tasting Notes: Crystalline straw-yellow with dense, viscous texture. The nose is taut and intensely mineral, opening on hawthorn before shifting into crushed flint, petrichor, and a subtle almond nuance. On the palate, electric freshness and chiseled sapidity command the flow, leaving a long, savory, maritime-saline trail.
Collio DOC Bianco Luna di Ponca 2022 – Tenuta Borgo Conventi
Estate & Philosophy: Established in 1975 in Farra d’Isonzo alongside a historic noble monastery, Tenuta Borgo Conventi bridges the distinctive terroirs of Collio and Isonzo, crafting polished, harmonious wines defined by poise and textural grace.
Variety / Blend: White Blend (Friulano, Chardonnay, Malvasia Istriana)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced from hillside plots in Farra d’Isonzo rooted in classic Collio ponca. Varieties are picked and vinified independently: Chardonnay and Malvasia ferment and age in French oak barriques, while Friulano matures in temperature-controlled stainless steel to protect varietal lift. The assembled blend undergoes additional bottle refinement prior to release.
Tasting Notes: Luminous straw-yellow with warm golden highlights. A calibrated bouquet yields exotic fruit, delicate vanilla bean, candied orange peel, white blossom, and wild herbs. The palate unites Chardonnay’s textural creaminess with Malvasia’s spicy aromatics, anchored by Friulano’s palate weight and a firm, saline-mineral backbone that drives an enduring, balanced finish.
Collio DOC Sauvignon Blanc Cicinis 2023 – Attems
Estate & Philosophy: Tracing its viticultural heritage to 1106 across Lucinico and Capriva, Attems represents a cornerstone of Collio history, applying high-precision viticulture to champion primary aromatic purity and profound mineral complexity.
Variety / Blend: Single Varietal (100% Sauvignon Blanc)
Terroir & Vinification: Single-vineyard fruit from an isolated knoll in Capriva del Friuli on stratified marl-sandstone flysch. Following a brief cold soak, fermentation and eight months of fine lees aging with regular bâtonnage are split equally between stainless steel tanks and wood (including tonneaux and egg-shaped wooden foudres).
Tasting Notes: Brilliant straw-yellow with greenish flashes. An intense, multifaceted nose displays tomato vine, clary sage, boxwood, pink grapefruit, and green bell pepper, integrated with subtle wood smoke and fine vanilla. Taut, vertical, and energetic on the entry; piercing acidity balances the wine’s natural glyceric texture, resolving on a persistent, iodized, herbal-spice finish.
Friuli Isonzo DOC Pinot Grigio Gris 2023 – Lis Neris
Estate & Philosophy: Helmed by Álvaro Pecorari in San Lorenzo Isontino, Lis Neris revolutionized the interpretation of Isonzo cultivars, coupling low yields with judicious wood aging to instill structure, depth, and cellar longevity into benchmark white wines.
Variety / Blend: Single Varietal (100% Pinot Grigio)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced from a historic single-vineyard plot in San Lorenzo Isontino, situated on a calcareous gravel plateau capped by iron-rich red clays. Fermentation and fine lees aging take place over eleven months in 500-liter French oak tonneaux with periodic bâtonnage, followed by twelve months of bottle refinement prior to release.
Tasting Notes: Luminous, viscous gold with subtle coppery glints. The bouquet is dense and nuanced, showing Saturn peach, ripe pear, linden blossom, clarified butter, toasted almond, and delicate spices of vanilla and fresh ginger. The palate reveals impressive dry extract and glyceric volume, held in check by crisp acidity and a savory, saline mineral trail that prolongs a warm, enduring finish.
Friuli Isonzo DOC Chardonnay Vie di Romans 2023 – Vie di Romans
Estate & Philosophy: Directed by Gianfranco Gallo in Mariano del Friuli, Vie di Romans represents an absolute pinnacle of Italian viticulture, renowned for harvesting at peak phenolic ripeness, parcel-by-parcel vinification, and extended aging prior to market release.
Variety / Blend: Single Varietal (100% Chardonnay)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced from alluvial gravel soils with clay-limestone matrix and iron-dense terra rossa in Mariano del Friuli. Following a pre-fermentative cold skin contact, fermentation and fine lees aging take place over nine to ten months in French oak barriques without malolactic fermentation to safeguard crisp tension; the wine rests for a further eight months in bottle.
Tasting Notes: Deep straw-yellow with brilliant golden reflections. A world-class, multifaceted aromatic profile reveals dehydrated pineapple, candied citron, roasted hazelnut, warm bread crust, and pastry cream framed by chalky minerality. The entry is imposing and velvety, offering rich texture countered by vibrant citrus acidity and snappy mineral sapidity that carries an exceptionally long close.
Collio DOC Malvasia 2024 – Doro Princic
Estate & Philosophy: An artisanal benchmark in Pradis di Cormòns led by Sandro Princic, the estate remains fiercely devoted to Collio hillside terroir, producing unvarnished single-varietal bottlings of exceptional mineral purity and longevity.
Variety / Blend: Single Varietal (100% Malvasia Istriana)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced from hillside vineyards in Pradis di Cormòns, rooted in Eocene marl and sandstone (ponca). Vinification involves gentle pressing and temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel; aging occurs predominantly in stainless steel with a small portion in large oak casks on native lees without aggressive fining, followed by bottle resting.
Tasting Notes: Brilliant straw-yellow with greenish highlights. The nose is exuberant, varietally pure, and distinctly spicy-mineral, opening on orange blossom, jasmine, grapefruit zest, clary sage, dried hay, and cracked white pepper. Chiseled and energetic on the palate, where citrus freshness and a cutting saline drive dictate the cadence, concluding on a dry, aromatic finish with a classic bitter-almond close.
Doro Princic
Friuli Colli Orientali DOC Bianco Identità 2020 – Specogna (Vignaioli in Rocca Bernarda)
Estate & Philosophy: Based in Corno di Rosazzo within the Colli Orientali del Friuli, Specogna crafts 120,000 bottles annually, balancing distribution evenly between the Italian domestic market and exports across thirty countries worldwide.
Variety / Blend: Native White Blend (Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, Ribolla Gialla)
Terroir & Vinification: Sourced from hillside plots in Rocca Bernarda rooted in Eocene marl and sandstone (ponca). Uniting Friuli’s three most defining white cultivars, vinification involves gentle cold skin contact, temperature-controlled fermentation, and extended fine lees aging across stainless steel tanks and oak casks of varied capacities, rounded out by prolonged bottle rest.
Tasting Notes: Luminous golden-yellow with pronounced viscosity. The aromatic entry is expansive and spicy, showing ripe citrus, sweet almond, green walnut husk, dried tropical fruit, fresh sage, and cracked white pepper. Powerful and layered on the palate, striking total harmony between extract density and crystalline mineral freshness, closing on a long, persistent, and engaging finish.
Friuli Colli Orientali DOC Pinot Grigio Ramato 2025 – Butussi
Estate & Philosophy: Set along the historic Via Forum Julii linking Cividale del Friuli and Aquileia, between the hills of Rosazzo and Gramogliano, Butussi spans eighteen hectares across diverse microclimates. Certified organic since 2013, the estate strips back cellar intervention to lay bare the nuanced voice of its soils.
Variety / Blend: Single Varietal (100% Pinot Grigio)
Terroir & Vinification: Planted on stratified marl-sandstone bedrock with colluvial topsoil. Hand-harvested at optimal ripeness, the fruit follows three distinct cellar paths: 25% direct-pressed as a white wine; 40% given a 36-hour cold soak to extract salmon-pink pigment; and the remaining share macerated on skins until spontaneous native fermentation ignites in traditional 60-hectoliter untoasted oak casks. Aged separately across steel and oak for six to eight months before blending one month prior to bottling.
Tasting Notes: Luminous coppery hue shifting from antique rose to pale blush. The bouquet opens with meadow wildflowers, crisp white tree fruit, wild woodland raspberries, and alpine strawberries against a subtle spicy backdrop. Dry, velvety, and tightly knit on the entry, with firm sapidity carrying the mid-palate through an enduring, characterful close.
Venezia Giulia IGT Ribolla 2018 – Gravner
Estate & Philosophy: Perched in Oslavia on the Collio slopes hugging the Slovenian border, Joško Gravner remains the undisputed pioneer of ancestral winemaking. Rejecting modern cellar mechanics in favor of radical biodynamics, Gravner elevates extreme patience, subterranean Caucasian amphorae (qvevri), and profound skin maceration into a worldwide standard of terroir authenticity.
Variety / Blend: Skin-Contact White / Orange Wine (100% Ribolla Gialla)
Terroir & Vinification: Biodynamically farmed on steep marl-sandstone (ponca) slopes in Oslavia. Spontaneous fermentation occurs on skins with indigenous yeasts for five to six months buried underground in Georgian terracotta qvevri. Following racking and pressing, the wine rests five more months in amphora, matures for six years in large oak casks, and is bottled without fining or filtration.
Tasting Notes: Luminous amber-orange in the glass. An arresting bouquet displays apricot and peach preserves, beeswax, cured hay, dried sage, and medicinal botanicals, underpinned by wet stone and briny sea spray. The palate is tactile, dense, and aristocratic; fine-grained, energetic tannins fuse with vibrant acidity and maritime salinity, culminating in an austere, remarkably lingering finish.
Photos Courtesy of Livio Felluga, Eugenio Collavini, Livon, La Tunella, Muzic, Venica & Venica, Škerlj, Skerk, Marco Felluga Russiz Superiore, Torre Rosazza, La Viarte, Adriano Gigante, Borgo del Tiglio, Tenuta Borgo Conventi, Attems, Lis Neris, Vie di Romans, Doro Princic, Specogna, Butussi, Gravner.
Alessandra Fiori